Known for its pioneering role in the fashion world, CBR Fashion Group is deeply committed to nurturing new talent. Through tailor-made training programs and dual study programs, the company offers an opportunity that not only imparts knowledge and skills, but also a solid career in the field of fashion. In an exclusive interview with Fabian Stachon, responsible for employer branding and talent management at the CBR Fashion Group, FashionUnited gained insights into the structure and content of its educational initiatives.
The CBR Fashion Group supports new talents with training and dual study programs. Can you tell us more about who this is suitable for, how exactly they are structured and what they contain?
As a successfully growing company, we are always looking for new talents who want to challenge and inspire us again and again with their ideas, visions, skills and passions. Of course, the development and retention of our talents through training or dual study is particularly important to us. We provide training in the areas of e-commerce, IT, wholesale and foreign trade as well as office management and cooperate with the relevant vocational schools. The classic training lasts three years, but it can also be shortened. We will then discuss this with the trainee during the training, if it makes sense.
Our dual study programs are aimed at anyone who wants to pursue a career in business administration or business information technology. The bachelor’s degree also lasts three years. In the dual study program, our students switch every three months between the practical phase at headquarters and the theoretical university block at the university.
Of course, each training and study program has a different focus, which determines the training content and departments that you go through with us. For example, in your training to become an eCommerce clerk, you will learn about eCom – brand management, performance marketing, digital sales & marketplaces, content management/CRM, online graphics, our photo studios, and even influencer marketing. And you can see from this one example that we are going full throttle throughout the entire program.
What specific skills and knowledge are the educational opportunities trying to impart?
Our unifying goal is to develop learners into experts in their jobs by acquiring know-how and to give them a deep and comprehensive insight into their future professional field. But we also accompany you in the growth of your own personality. We love diversity and character, we are looking for people who drive people and provide inspiration. And this also includes expressing your opinion, standing up for yourself and the cause, setting accents, showing flank and profile and of course being empathetic and diplomatic. Even if it is not a specific skill or knowledge, our trainees and dual students are gradually becoming more and more our brand ambassadors, immersing themselves in the brand world of Street One, CECIL and Street One Men from day 1.
Can you give an insight into how the collaboration between trainees/students and experienced employees at the CBR Fashion Group is structured?
That’s very simple. We interact as equals, always and everywhere. There are hierarchies and of course superiors, of course, but our hierarchies are very flat, there are no distances whatsoever. In other companies it can be different. I’m currently having a lot of conversations with applicants, including some who have already completed training. I often hear from them that they were an assistant, an assistant or simply a replacement for another employee. And that’s not exactly how it is with us, because our trainees and dual students are fully involved right from the start, take on responsibility and are full members of the team: they enrich us with their “freshness” and their hunger for know-how. Each of us is there to support everyone with help and advice and we include everyone 100%. They are also involved in various projects. I’ve just come from a conversation with one of our IT trainers who told me that we don’t want to give the new talents here – and this is just an example – tasks that correspond to the training plan, but unfortunately end up in the Ton disappear. That’s not really motivating for a trainee. That’s why they work on projects that are actually implemented.
Furthermore, our trainers are the ones who, together with the trainees and dual students, ensure that the topics taught in practice go hand in hand with the respective curricula. At the same time, they are direct contact persons. I see myself as a mentor and am a sparring and sharing partner. We meet for coffee talks or have lunch together and discuss how things are going and how I can support them. They know that they can steal horses with me and that I support them in all situations. But I also value openness. It is therefore very important to me that we trust each other and that we can accept and give suggestions and sometimes criticism. This goes both ways. This gives us the chance to understand each other, learn from it and grow from it. I want to push them and it is my goal to strengthen them, develop their talents and let them become their own brand.
How does the company look after and support trainees and students during their training or studies?
We establish a plan that shows when and who will actually go through which department. But of course we also involve our trainees and dual students here. We are all 100% at each and everyone’s side. There are all kinds of options for developing individual skills and strengths. But not everything is set in stone, because everyone can control, direct and influence. That’s why we don’t act rigidly. We update each other regularly and discuss whether something has not yet been taught comprehensively enough or whether it makes sense to move to the next department early. Of course, there are departments that are passed through, but it quickly becomes clear that this will not be the future area in which you want to start. That’s perfectly fine too. The aim is for us to work together during the training period to find out what suits them best and what they enjoy. It is a shared path of discovery.
How does CBR Fashion Group support its trainees and students in planning their careers after completing the program? What paths are open to them after that?
We want everyone to know, as their training or dual study progresses, what role they want to take on with us after graduation. However, basically all doors are open in every direction. I always say that they should see themselves to a certain extent as an “advertising banner” with, for example, the slogan “I’m Paul and I’ve got it.” As many departments as possible should have trainees and dual students on their radar and definitely want to win them over after they graduate. So it can happen that before you graduate you have several offers on the table (depending on the job advertisements, of course) and you can then choose the task to start with. I already said that we don’t think in rigid patterns. So if a trainee learns office management, for example, but is actually more of a creative type, a commercial genius or a communications professional, he or she can then start in sales or marketing – even if this would not necessarily be the actual area of work after training.
How can interested parties apply for the programs? Are there certain requirements that should be taken into account?
The best thing to do is to take a look at our career portal and apply directly for the respective training course or course of study. A CV is of course a must, but a letter of motivation and a photo are not. But of course it makes both a little more personal and empathetic. It also makes sense to send certificates along, as otherwise we would request them later and it slows down the entire process somewhat. The more complete, the better. For the dual course of study, you should have a high school diploma or a technical college entrance qualification. Otherwise we are completely open. We are looking forward to character heads.
Last but not least: Do you have any success stories from former trainees or students who took advantage of these educational opportunities and are now working at CBR Fashion Group?
Then you ask me something. Naturally. It would be sad if not. Whether as a manager in the area of influencer marketing, as a sales representative in the area of sales, manager in product marketing, talent acquisition manager in people & culture, manager logistics or service teams, IT developer or IT application manager. There are numerous examples. Every journey was and is a very personal success story. And I’m happy if everyone has a career with us, if that’s what they want. We’re definitely there.